Fountain-pen



No. 770,612. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904. A. J. & J. E. SGRITCHPIELD.

FOUNTAIN .PEN.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 16.1904.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTORS: /W Q a W Q UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT OEErcE.

AMOS ACKSON SCRITCHFIELD AND JULIA ELLA SCRITCHFIELD, OF J ANESVILLE,WISCONSIN.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,612, dated.September 20, 1904.

Application filed June 16, 1904. Serial No. 212,871. (No model.) I i"FIELD and JULIA ELLA SoRrrcHEIELD, of J anesville, in the county ofRock, State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fountain-Pens, of which the followingis acom pletespecification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of our invention is to produce such improvements infountain-pens as shall have the effect of promoting the flow of inktherefrom in use, but without waste or excess; of keeping the ink cleanand free of sediment at its point of contact with the pen proper; ofpreventing the formation of bubbles, whose tendency is to interrupt theflow of ink to the pen-point in use, and to positively shut oficommunication between the barrel of the pen and its point wheneverdesired.

What constitutes our invention will hereinafter more fully and at largeappear, and be succinctly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a diametrical longitudinalsection, partially in elevation, of one form of embodiment of ourinvention. Fig. II is a similar View of the lower end of our pen, shownon a magnified scale, the feed-plug being partially in elevation andpartially in section. Fig. III is an inverted transverse section as online III III of Fig. II. Fig. IV is a similar section on line IV IV ofFig. II, and Fig. V is a section on the line V V of Fig. II.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates the barrel of ourpen, which may be of any ordinary or preferred shape, dimensions, ormaterial and which is provided with a suitable bore 2 to hold a supplyof ink. One end of the barrel 1 is closed, preferably, by an integralcap 3 and the other end, preferably, by a detachable foot-piece 4, whichcarrying a pen-point 5 is made permeable under certain limitations toflow of ink from the bore 2 of the barrel to said pen-point 5. To affordmembers, (designated by the numeral 6 in Figs. I and II.)

As the means of imposing requisite limitations upon the flow of ink fromthe bore of the barrel to the pen-point, so that it may be free withoutexcess, we prefer to employ a plurality of communicating compartments,which are preferably annular in form and Whose means of communicationone with another are preferably varied. Now it is obvious that thedimensions of any member, which may be properly designated a foot-piece,as has been the part 4, are of necessity narrowly restricted and that inorder to obtain space for the accommodation in a pen of more than one ortwo compartments aforesaid, in conjunction with a foot-piece, recoursemust be had to the barrel or corresponding member connected with thesaid foot-piece; but in order at the same time to provide convenientlyfeasible and simple means for cleaning the compartment that is withinthe barrel We prefer to combine all but one of the walls of saidcompartment with the foot-piece, thereby accomplishing the end in viewwithout in any wise modifying the simple tubular form of the barrel.

Proceeding accordingly upon the foregoing general observation with thespecifications of details, 7 indicates the lowermost of the compartmentsaforesaid, of which, for example, three are illustrated. Theintermediate compartment is separated from the compartment 7 by anannulus 8 upon the feed-plug 9 and is designated by the numeral 10. Theuppermost compartment being located chiefly within the barrel 1, whichconstitutes the outer wall of it, is otherwise defined by an annulus 11,which separates it, on the one hand, from the compartment 10, and by adisk 12, which separates it, on the other hand, from the remainder ofthe bore 2 of the barrel. The said disk is assembled with and carried bythe plug 9, as upon a stem 14, attenuated so as to occupy little spacewithin the bore of the barrel. It may be added by way of descriptionthat we find that in the employment of a plurality of compartments thereis an advantage I derived in the employment of one of comparativelysmaller size nearer the point of discharge of the feed or outfiowof theink.

Means of communication between the several compartments in order topromote the proper flow of ink without excess or interruption, as byformation of bubbles, are, as has been specified, preferably varied. Forinstance, we prefer to provide a number of minute perforations in thedisk 12, by which the disk is constituted a strainer as well as apermeable partition-wall. The longitudinal extent of the uppermostcompartment as determined by the distance between the annulus 11 and thedisk 12 is preferably such as to render it feasible to employ anindeterminate number of perforations 15, provided only that they aresuch in point of size and distribution as to qualify the disk 12 for thedischarge of its functions as a strainer. The annuli 8 and 11, on theother hand, being separated only by the narrow compartment 10, aretherefore penetrated by means of communication that are preferablydisalined and consist," for example, of two ducts 16 through the annulus11 and four ducts 17 through the annulus 8.

The tip of the plug 9 is provided with a suitable means of ink-supply tothe pen-point 5 such, for example, as the usual gutter 19, of which thepen-point itself constitutes a forewall or cover. The means of operativecommunication between the lowermost compartment 7 and the gutter 19 ispreferably a flexuous duct, consisting, preferentially, of threedistinct sections 20, 21, and 22, united in consecutive order by twointermediate abrupt turns or angles 23 and 24:, respectively. Theconjunction of the duct-section 22 with the gutter 19 adds, in effect, athird angle 25 to the fiexuousity of the duct aforesaid.

In addition to the various means above specified for controlling in usethe flow of ink from its reservoirwithin the barrel 1 to its finaldischarge from the point of the pen we prefer also to employ means ofpositively interrupting said flow to prevent possibility of accidentaldischarge or leakage of ink, as when the pen is carried in the pocket.We prefer to employ for that purpose a valve and to locate it for thefacilitation of its function in proximity to one of the, angles of theaforesaid sinuous feed-duct. The angle 23 affords a convenient point forthe location of the valve-seat 26, (see Fig. II,) that is adapted toaccommodate a valve 27, which is movable to and from its seat within atrack 28 by aid of a stem 29. The track 28, valveseat 26, and groovewithin which the stem 29 works being all formed in the periphery of theplug 9, it is a simple matter to assemble the partsby laying the valveand its stem in position and afterward slipping about them and the plugthe foot-piece 4 as a case or wrapper.

The operation of our device may bebriefly described, as follows: Inpractice the barrel 1 is unscrewed from the foot-piece 1 and the partsseparated, the stem 14 carrying withit the perforated disk 15, andthereby exposing said disk and its stem to facilitate the cleansing ofthem, if necessary. The disk 15 fits snugly within the bore of thebarrel 1, and with each insertion of it into the barrel tends to forceback any sediment which the ink may contain into the top of the boreabove said disk 15, which is, as has been specified, a strainer. Thepresence of the perforated disk 15 divides the bore of the barrel intotwo chambers, from the lower one of which. which isthe uppermostfeed-compartment of the pen, the feedsupply of the pen is drawn.feed-supply passing through the ducts 16 enters the annular compartment10, whence by the ducts 17 it proceeds into the annular compartment 7.Thence by the single vertical duct 20 it descends toward the duct 21,into which the current is deflected. At the angle 24: the current isagain deflected into the ductsection 22 and at the angle 25 is finallyde- -flected into the gutter 19. The arrangement of .ducts andcompartments serves to admit the necessary supply of air to the bore ofthe The ink of said barrel, while the flexuosity of the compositepassagemade up of the aforesaid ducts and compartments effectuallyrestrains the flow so far as to prevent excessive discharge or leakage.The positive shut-0E for the flow, to wit, the valve-seat 26 with itsvalve 27 is located at one of the abrupt bends of the duct, which tendsto assist the function of the valve in the deflection of flow which isimposed at the point of location of the valve and valveseat.

What we claim is 1. In a fountain-pen, the combination with its barreland detachable foot-piece provided with a pen-point and feed-plug, of acompartment within the barrel, all of whose walls but one are combinedwith the foot-piece.

2. In a fountain-pen, the combination with its barrel, detachablefoot-piece, and feed-plug, of a stem upon the plug, aperforated disksecured to the stem, and fitting within the bore of the barrel, which itdivides into chambers.

3. In a fountain-pen, the combination with its barrel and foot-piece, ofa feed-plug provided with a plurality of communicating annularcompartments of different sizes, of which a-smaller is located near thepoint of discharge of the feed. 1

4. In a fountain-pen, the combination with a feed-plug, pen-point, andincasing member, of a plurality of communicating annular compartments inthe feed-plug, and a flexuous means of communication between saidcompartments and the pen-point.

5. In a fountain-pen, the combination with a feed-plug, pen-point, andincasing member,

' of a plurality of communicating compartments in the feed-plug, and aflexuous means of communication between said compartments and thepen-point, said means of communication between said compartmentsincreasing in number from the uppermost to the lowermost compartment.

6. In a fountain-pen, the combination with its feed-plug, pen-point, andincasing member, of a feed-duct in the plug, and a valve adapted topositively open and close said duct, said valve being located in theside of the plug, between it and the incasing member.

7 The combination with a barrel, footpiece, pen-point, and feed-plugprovided with a flexuous duct in its lower part, and with a lowermostcompartment communicating therewith, of an annulus in said plug definingsaid compartment, asecond compartment, and a second annulus, and ductsin said an nuli respectively, afl ording means of communication betweenthe respective compartments and the bore of the barrel.

8. The combination with a barrel, footpiece, pen-point, and feed-plugprovided with a flexuous duct in its lower part, and with a lowermostcompartment communicating therewith, of an annulus in said plug definingsaid compartment, a second compartment, and a second annulus, and ductsin said annuli respectively, affording means of com munication betweenthe respective compartments and the bore of the barrel, the ducts in theseveral annuli being disalined.

9. The combination with a barrel, footpiece, pen-point, and feed-plugprovided with a fieXuous duct in its lower part, and with a lowermostcompartment communicating therewith, of an annulus in said plug definingsaid compartment, a second compartment, and a second annulus, and ductsin said annuli respectively, affording means of communication betweenthe respective compartments and the bore of the barrel, the number ofducts in the lower annulus being greater than in the upper annulus.

In testimony of all which We have hereunto subscribed our names.

AMOS JACKSON SGRITCHFIELD. JULIA ELLA SCRITCHFIELD.

Witnesses:

WM. RUGER, J r., C. W. REEDER.

